I don't know if you guys realize how incredible this year has been at Skyline and the first quarter isn't even finished. 2011 was amazing in and of itself, but 2012 is already shaping up to be the most epic year in the history of our church. We continue to see new faces. We continue to see people coming to Christ. There is excitement in the hearts of our church family and I am pumped to see the way all of you are stepping up to make a difference in ministry.
For the first time in our history, we are averaging over 200 in weekly attendance. In fact, there have only been 2 Sundays this year in which we have not had over 200 people at Skyline to worship the King of Kings. We have also seen the single largest "non-big-day" Sunday ever when we had 241 people attend on January 29th. Considering that we averaged 136 in January/February of 2011, that is some amazing growth.
I have said it before and I will say it again....THIS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING!!! With that said, it takes every single one of us working together with God to see this momentum of life change continue.
Here's your Easter Challenge. Never has Skyline seen over 300 people on a single weekend. Our challenge is to make that happen this Easter. It's a challenge because we won't be doing it with mass marketing or billboards. We won't be doing it with TV commercials or radio. We will be doing it as a church family who are passionate about inviting our friends and neighbors who don't have a church home.
I would like to ask every person who calls Skyline Church home to invite like you've never invited before. In fact, I challenge you to invite a minimum of 10 people either in person or over the phone to come to our Easter Celebration service on April 8th. That doesn't mean you can't invite them to come before them (which I encourage you to do), but definitely get them there on Easter Sunday.
The question is "How?" I will suggest three ways (listed in order of priority).
1.) Face to Face: Grab some invitation cards from church and hand it to those you want to invite. Share with them all that God has done in your life and is doing in our church. Invite them to experience what you have experienced through Skyline Church.
2.) Over The Phone: Pull your cell out of your pocket and open up the contacts. There is a mission field right in your phone. Bring up there name, push the button and invite those people to Skyline Church. Again, share what God is doing and invite them to experience all that He is doing.
3.) Facebook Invitation: We have a special Facebook Event that you can use to invite the people on your friends list. Simply open the event and then click "invite". Then you can specifically select those you would like to come with you to church. Notice I did not include the Facebook Event when I challenged you to invite at least 10 people. I want to challenge you to invite even more on Facebook. Some of you could extend an invitation to 50 more people or even 100 more people using this tool.
The point is that Easter Weekend holds the potential for more life change than any other Sunday during a given year. People are more open to coming to church on Easter than any other Sunday. It is a weekend where we celebrate our reason for living the life we live and worship the true and living God. Don't you want the people in your life to experience the love of Christ? This is your time to really make a difference.
Two things I don't want them to miss out on. 1.) The saving message of the cross that can change their life for eternity. 2.) The exciting things that are just on the horizon at Skyline Church.
God is preparing to do some unbelievable things through us. We are seeing our God-sized dreams becoming reality, even more so in the coming weeks. Be excited about what He is doing! Be passionate about what He is doing! Share what He is doing! Let's do our part and watch how God moves!
Thoughts on life, ministry, and non-sense on occasion.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Pulled In Too Many Directions
This morning I have a feeling that most of us share all too frequently..."AHHHHHHHH!".
Yesterday, I took the day off. I wish it were because my children were home from school for a holiday (which they were). I wish it were to spend time with my wife. Instead, I had a date with my bed and the epic movie "Ben Hur". I had caught a "bug" and spent the entire day covered up in a quilt while dozing in and out. I think I caught all the high points of the movie in between naps.
Regardless, this morning I find myself a bit overwhelmed by what was already a calendar filled with meetings, tasks, and my weekly to-do's. Take away one of the days and a hectic week gets compounded seemingly exponentially. How in the world do I do all of this?
The answer to that question is simply, "I don't have to." Certainly, I might be able to...but in the grand scheme of things, the world will not come to an end if every task on my checklist doesn't get marked off.
In all actuality, it is not a question of "How do I do all of this?", but more so a question of "How do I go about all of this?" I believe a hectic life has to be addressed intentionally and purposefully without hefty expectation of being able to walk on water.
I don't have the market cornered on dealing with a stress filled hectic schedule, but I do try my very best to address my life intentionally and purposefully. Sometimes, God helps me get it all done. Sometimes, there are still things that go undone and the world has yet to come to an end. In fact, God still does amazing things in both my life and my ministry despite my occasional inability to complete every task on my list.
I try to IDENTIFY everything that could or should be done during the week. There is a difference between "could" and "should". Some things have to be done, some things truly need to be done, then there are those things that could be done. If something has to be accomplished or needs to be accomplished, those move up on the priority list.
It's important that we PRIORITIZE. I personally prioritize each day. Biting off my schedule in chunks makes it easier to digest. After plugging in the "has to be" and the "need to be" done's, I am free to fill the rest of my day with what "could be" done.
When it is all said and done, I have to REALIZE. I have to realize that I can't always do it all. If I am intentional about making sure what should be done gets accomplished and I maximize my time with the could be done's...what is left is....well, It's ok. I can only do so much.
Just this morning I was readying a blog written by a friend who has been experiencing some of these same feelings. He said this in his conclusion,
"... today really helped me take a deep breath and turn over to God what belongs to God… FUTURE EVENTS. The only thing that I need to be focusing on is my effort. Because at the end of the day all I can do is all I can do, and all I can do is enough. The rest is up to God."
All I can do is enough. The rest is up to God. No truer words have ever been spoken.
Yesterday, I took the day off. I wish it were because my children were home from school for a holiday (which they were). I wish it were to spend time with my wife. Instead, I had a date with my bed and the epic movie "Ben Hur". I had caught a "bug" and spent the entire day covered up in a quilt while dozing in and out. I think I caught all the high points of the movie in between naps.
Regardless, this morning I find myself a bit overwhelmed by what was already a calendar filled with meetings, tasks, and my weekly to-do's. Take away one of the days and a hectic week gets compounded seemingly exponentially. How in the world do I do all of this?
The answer to that question is simply, "I don't have to." Certainly, I might be able to...but in the grand scheme of things, the world will not come to an end if every task on my checklist doesn't get marked off.
In all actuality, it is not a question of "How do I do all of this?", but more so a question of "How do I go about all of this?" I believe a hectic life has to be addressed intentionally and purposefully without hefty expectation of being able to walk on water.
I don't have the market cornered on dealing with a stress filled hectic schedule, but I do try my very best to address my life intentionally and purposefully. Sometimes, God helps me get it all done. Sometimes, there are still things that go undone and the world has yet to come to an end. In fact, God still does amazing things in both my life and my ministry despite my occasional inability to complete every task on my list.
I try to IDENTIFY everything that could or should be done during the week. There is a difference between "could" and "should". Some things have to be done, some things truly need to be done, then there are those things that could be done. If something has to be accomplished or needs to be accomplished, those move up on the priority list.
It's important that we PRIORITIZE. I personally prioritize each day. Biting off my schedule in chunks makes it easier to digest. After plugging in the "has to be" and the "need to be" done's, I am free to fill the rest of my day with what "could be" done.
When it is all said and done, I have to REALIZE. I have to realize that I can't always do it all. If I am intentional about making sure what should be done gets accomplished and I maximize my time with the could be done's...what is left is....well, It's ok. I can only do so much.
Just this morning I was readying a blog written by a friend who has been experiencing some of these same feelings. He said this in his conclusion,
"... today really helped me take a deep breath and turn over to God what belongs to God… FUTURE EVENTS. The only thing that I need to be focusing on is my effort. Because at the end of the day all I can do is all I can do, and all I can do is enough. The rest is up to God."
All I can do is enough. The rest is up to God. No truer words have ever been spoken.
Monday, February 13, 2012
Mangled Flesh - A Continuation
This past weekend, we were all challenged during our Man Vs. Wife series. We began this series where a lot of marriages, unfortunately, end...DIVORCE.
It's a scary word. It's an ugly word. It's a word that God HATES! There is no question that scripture surrounding the topic is challenging and even difficult to read, but God's Word is never meant to be easy. I believe with all of my heart that God intends His Word to convict, to comfort, to guide, and to heal. At the root of every verse is a foundation of Grace. Even in the most convicting portions of God's story, there is found forgiveness.
When it comes to the topic of Divorce, forgiveness abounds. Forgiveness must be found within self. Often times we move on, yet we harbor guilt and pain of mistakes we may have made. As we have sought God for forgiveness, we must also forgive our selves. Others also cause us pain and suffering in divorce and just as God forgives us, we must be willing to share that same amount of forgiveness with them.
One of the topics we touched on in the sermon, was the idea of adultery. Jesus was clear that in cases of adultery, divorce is permissible. Realizing the pain and betrayal, it is perfectly understandable why someone would want to dissolve the marriage. With that said, I want to share the same challenge I presented in the message. Stand Firm! Even if adultery has entered the picture. I know it’s tough. I know it hurts, but when Jesus said that in cases of adultery, divorce was permitted…He didn’t say it was required. Even though you are free to leave, God is the God of forgiveness and he can work a miracle in your relationship today if you both will let Him.
I have seen marriages completely destroyed by adultery, but I have also seen God do some incredible things when a husband and wife are willing to forgive and move forward. Irrespective of the reason, God's desire is to see His union remain. It is His desire to heal, to forgive and to work a miracle.
He shares this heart through the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 7:10-11. His heart is for reconciliation. I do certainly understand that reconciliation may seem impossible in some cases, but through God all things are possible.
If reconciliation is not possible, we can not live in the past and we must move on with our future. However, if reconciliation is possible...WHAT A TESTIMONY OF GOD'S GRACE!
It's a scary word. It's an ugly word. It's a word that God HATES! There is no question that scripture surrounding the topic is challenging and even difficult to read, but God's Word is never meant to be easy. I believe with all of my heart that God intends His Word to convict, to comfort, to guide, and to heal. At the root of every verse is a foundation of Grace. Even in the most convicting portions of God's story, there is found forgiveness.
When it comes to the topic of Divorce, forgiveness abounds. Forgiveness must be found within self. Often times we move on, yet we harbor guilt and pain of mistakes we may have made. As we have sought God for forgiveness, we must also forgive our selves. Others also cause us pain and suffering in divorce and just as God forgives us, we must be willing to share that same amount of forgiveness with them.
One of the topics we touched on in the sermon, was the idea of adultery. Jesus was clear that in cases of adultery, divorce is permissible. Realizing the pain and betrayal, it is perfectly understandable why someone would want to dissolve the marriage. With that said, I want to share the same challenge I presented in the message. Stand Firm! Even if adultery has entered the picture. I know it’s tough. I know it hurts, but when Jesus said that in cases of adultery, divorce was permitted…He didn’t say it was required. Even though you are free to leave, God is the God of forgiveness and he can work a miracle in your relationship today if you both will let Him.
I have seen marriages completely destroyed by adultery, but I have also seen God do some incredible things when a husband and wife are willing to forgive and move forward. Irrespective of the reason, God's desire is to see His union remain. It is His desire to heal, to forgive and to work a miracle.
He shares this heart through the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 7:10-11. His heart is for reconciliation. I do certainly understand that reconciliation may seem impossible in some cases, but through God all things are possible.
If reconciliation is not possible, we can not live in the past and we must move on with our future. However, if reconciliation is possible...WHAT A TESTIMONY OF GOD'S GRACE!
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